1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to image processing apparatuses such as Multi-Functional Peripherals (MFPs) and technology related thereto.
2. Related Art
There is security technology for ensuring security of data when executing processing (see JP 2000-194591A, for example). For instance, in the technique disclosed in JP2000-194591A, when a process is to be executed, the authority level of a person who is to execute the process and the security level of the process are compared with each other, and if the “authority level” is lower than the “security level”, execution of the process is not permitted.
Incidentally, image processing apparatuses having a web access function have been proposed in recent years with advances in network technology or the like. Also, various services (such as translation services) are provided on the web.
Following this, it is envisaged that such services are used in the aforementioned image processing apparatuses. Furthermore, a situation can be considered in which in the aforementioned image processing apparatuses, a plurality of processes (jobs) are executed in combination while involving the use of various services that involve communication with external devices or the like.
For example, a case is considered in which a scanning process for generating scan data of an original document, and a data-format conversion process (PDF conversion job) involving data-format conversion services (e.g., PDF conversion services) that involves character recognition processing and in which the scan data of the original document is converted into a predetermined format (e.g., PDF format) are executed sequentially. Furthermore, a case is also considered in which a translation process that involves translation services (e.g., Japanese to English translation services) in which sentence data within data in a predetermined format (e.g., PDF data) is translated is additionally executed.
However, if the prior art such as that described above is simply applied to such a case, the security of each process (job) is determined immediately before execution of the process. Thus, a user can know whether or not each process can be executed, just immediately before execution of the process. In this case, there is the problem that, in particular if there is a security problem with the second or a subsequent process to be executed among a plurality of processes, a user can know the fact that the process cannot be executed due to the security problem just immediately before execution of that process, and therefore, the time or the like that has been taken to execute the previous process/processes is/are wasted.
To be more specific, for example if an apparatus (e.g., MFP) is set such that processes (a series of processes) are automatically performed in succession, a user will know whether or not each process can be executed, in the middle of the series of processes (immediately before each process). For this reason, problems such as described above arise. Note that if a user is not present in front of the apparatus, the user will not notice interruptions of processes. Therefore, the user is required to stay in front of the apparatus (e.g., MFP) during the period from the start to the end of the series of processes and check the progress of operations.